HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING FOR BALANCE BUFFALO 06-1 2ND

UNCLAS DHAKA 006144 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR MASS PHUM PREL BG SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING FOR BALANCE BUFFALO 06-1 2ND REQUEST REF: DHAKA 5844 ¶1. This is an action request. See Paragraph 4. ¶2. The following units are scheduled to take part in Exercise Balance Buffalo 06-1 initiating deployment in January 2006: Bangladesh Army: 1st Para Commando Battalion. Bangladesh Air Force: Commandos from 101 Special Flying Unit, 9 Squadron, and 41 Squadron. Bangladesh Navy: Commandos of Commodore Commanding Chittagong, Commodore Commanding Supply Dockyard, and Commodore Commanding Khulna of the Bangladesh Defense Forces. ¶3. The name and dates of birth of the commanding officers of these units are as follows: Bangladesh Army: Lt Colonel Md. Touhidul Islam, 20 November 1964, 1st Para Commando Battalion. Bangladesh Air Force: Group Captain M. Harunur Rashid, 01 January 1964, 101 Special Flying Unit Wing Commander Syed Shakil Ali, 07 November 1963, 9 Squadron. Squadron Leader Md. Abul Kalam Azad, 28 October 1961, 41 Squadron. Bangladesh Navy: Commodore Mohammad Shasul Kabir, 26 Dec ¶1950. Commodore Commanding Chittagong and Superintendent Dockyard. Commodore Mustafizur Rahman, 19 November 1957, Commodore Commanding Khulna. ¶4. Embassy requests that the Department of State authorize the Embassy to make the following statement to the relevant DOD units: "Embassy verifies that the Department of State possesses no credible information of gross violations of human rights by the Bangladesh Army 1st Para Commando Battalion, Air Force Commandos from 101 Special Flying Unit BAF, 9 Squadron BAF and 41 Squadron BAF, and Navy Commandos of Commodore Commanding Chittagong, Commodore Commanding Supply Dockyard, and Commodore Commanding Khulna of the Bangladesh Defense Forces." ¶5. Point of Contact is Denise Jobin Welch, Second Secretary. ¶6. COMMENT: Embassy has no information to indicate these units have been involved in gross violations of human rights. END COMMENT CHAMMAS